Can you fill in the places of these 21 asterisks with only 3 different letters, so arranged that they spell a common English word of 5 letters in 12 different directions?

*****
** **
* * *
** **
*****

Two of the five letters are vowels.

[Solution]

71

————— his pride the Royal James
Came down upon the ————— Thames;
Like ————— his court repair
To breathe — ————’s freer air.

Each space has the same nine letters.

[Solution]

72. DROP LETTER LINES

With lily leaves his oars are ........,
Her eager hands their treasures .......,
To the fair winds all cares . .....,
And echo faintly answers .....!